The Fabric of Time
by Azkainer
Summary: /AU/ "Have we met before?"... "I don't know Madame Mayor, have we?". Emma is a 'Traveller', Regina is something Emma always seems to return to. SwanQueen.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing. Wish I had a hand in it though. Swan Queen would have been together since the mine.

**Pairings and Information: **This will definitely be an M rated story for such obvious reasons. If you're confused as to what's going on, go and read or watch the Time Travellers Wife. S'good stuff. And it's basically what I'm ripping off..._basically_. The main dish is Swan Queen. But it may (see. _may_) have side servings of Red Beauty...and that other one with Aurora and Mulan (what even is that called?).

**Authors Note: **All my old readers can't hate me for this. Ya'll can't do that. I tried to write the next chapter for Colliding Worlds and The Academy. I really did. But I kept getting stuck, there's a Harry Potter marathon on next week, maybe wait till that, inspiration and the like. Mass Effect just made me plain mad. OUAT is soothing my feelings. PS: This is un-beta-d. Sorry for mistakes.

* * *

**Chapter One**

_**Mills Estate - White Kingdom  
Regina (10 Years Old)**_

She'd been hiding for the better part of an hour, tucked safely away in the trees that surrounded her parents estate. Her mother had whizzed past several times, first screaming her name, then pleading, before finally tumbling into a disarray of threats and lashings. Those just caused the terrified child to bunker down even more.

Her mother had eventually given up the search and retreated back to the manor, a worried but ever-compliant husband in tow. The heavy doors slammed closed and even from a distance, the child could see the shimmer as it was magically barred. Now she _definitely_ knew she wasn't returning home anytime soon.

Letting a few moments pass until she was sure she was safe, she bound to her feet and made off into the thick forest. Usually she would be terrified to travel the trees alone; her father had almost always accompanied her on her trips outdoors, but today was different. Today she was free. She could do whatever she want. Regina Mills, for the first time in a long time, was free.

Even at ten summers old she knew the paths of the forest like the back of her hand. She prided herself on it, especially when 'daddy' got lost and she had to guide them home. And today happened to be no different. She flew through the trees, her arms outstretched like a bird would do; as she made her way to the one place in all of this land that she could call her own. Nobody knew about it. not even her father. It was her kingdom, her lands; and she was Queen.

The kingdom itself was rather magnificent in the eyes of an imaginative child. A clearing in a forest, big enough to house a small pond with running streams either side. Small boulders scattered the water's edge, and one particularly one, Regina's favourite, just so happened to be shaped into a natural stone throne. This was a place where she could sit and command her subjects at will (her subjects being no more than timid local wildlife).

It was however on this day, as she pushed through the final dense bit of overgrowth and tumbled out the other side, that she was met with a rather unusual sight. An oddly dressed person was perched on the boulder beside her throne, their bare feet dangling in the chilly water below. She couldn't see their face

Regina froze on the spot, her hands clenching open and closed. She was decidedly terrified. Her first thought was that her mother had found out and posted some kind of horrible guard; they were after all dressed in dark ominous clothes, a pullover hood guarding their features. However the more she observed them and the longer they stayed in the spot they were in, Regina realized this stranger was far from as mean and cruel as her mother.

She cleared her throat and stomped as regally forward as she could muster over the undergrowth, "You walk on the Queen's land?" her voice holding both an air of superiority and childishness.

The strangers slowly turned their head up, the shadow that covered their face did little to mask the shine of the grey eyes within. A smirk, "This land belongs to you? I had no idea."

Regina was taken aback. The stranger was a woman. Or sounded like one. It had a slightly husky and mysterious tone to it. With a shake of her head she quickly regained her composure, "Of course it does, I found it. That makes it mine. Now unmask yourself! It's rude to hide from your Queen."

The figure laughed, shaking her head, "No can do. What is this land called your majesty? If I may be so brave to ask."

"The Black Kingdom," Regina carefully made her way closer to the figure, feeling slightly safer in their presence but not enough so to risk going into their arms reach, "Why won't you show me your face? Are you unfortunate like the children of the wilds?"

The stranger shook her head and glanced around, noting the beauty of the small clearing, "It's not very Black is it?"

"Now that you're sitting here it kind of looks a little black," she finally clambered over the boulders to her throne and sat on it, "Fine though if you won't show me your face, what's your name?"

"Again, no can do. But you can call me 'The White Knight' if you want."

Regina glared, "But you're dressed in all Black!"

The stranger laughed again, swishing her feet around in the water, "Right you are. Just call me White then? And what may I call you milady?"

"Queen Mills, most fair Queen in all the lands," she said, wiggling in her throne in glee at her own answer, before once again composing herself, "Why are you here _White_?"

"Because something willed me here, was it you perhaps?" the visible mouth turned up in a smile, "What are you doing out and so close to the evening anyway? Perhaps you were scared and subconsciously asked for a Knight and that's exactly what the powers at work gave you."

"And why would I ask for a Knight?" the little girl scoffed, rolling her eyes in a dramatic flair.

The odd guest simply shrugged, "Don't know Regina, why don't you tell me?"

Just as Regina was going to make a comeback she stopped. She wasn't dumb. She'd learned to pick up on the little things very early on in life - save her mother getting angry at her. Her brow furrowed at the person beside her. She was sure she had _not_ told them her given name. And so she was silent for a moment, her heart racing as she looked at them. She was scared again.

"W-who are you?" she stuttered out, raising a little from her throne, "I didn't tell you my name."

_White_ stood, grabbing up her boots as she did. She smiled down at the girl before bowing her head, "I told you, I'm the White Knight."

"That doesn't..."

"Oh but it does, it means everything. Perhaps when we next meet, you'll understand."

"What do you mean?" Regina was getting anxious, she had taken to standing without knowing and her hand was mid reach out toward the stranger, as if she was being pulled by a strange force.

"I told you, perhaps you needed a Knight and the powers at work just happened to give you me; and those same powers are saying you no longer need me."

Regina shook her head, she was so confused, and scared. She didn't know what to make of this stranger at all. She was just a kid! And this person, this woman, was exactly like the people she had been told to avoid. Her mother had called them crazy folk - those that lived and breathed the wilderness.

"I've stayed too long unfortunately, and the powers have a very demanding pull," she held her hands up to the child in front of her, Regina watched with terror as they seemed to be evaporating away into the wind, "Two half moons from now is when I'll be back, same place, I promise."

"I don't understand..."

"You will. One day."

And with that, the stranger before her had turned to dust in the sky, slipping through her fingers with ease. Regina breathed deep, trying to make sense of it all. Perhaps the girl really was just an apparition sent by her mother. But that wouldn't explain how nice she was being. A shade sent by her mother would have dragged her back home kicking and screaming.

Two moons. That's what she had said. Regina was going to make sure the stranger, White, kept to their promise as well. For now, she needed to get home. The chilly evening wind was coming in hard and she had no inclination of spending the night in it - despite knowing going home would mean lashings just as painful. At least at home she could seek solace in her father's arms. At least at home she had a library - a library full of books she was sure would offer an explanation of her Knight.

* * *

_**Boston - Massachusetts  
Emma (25 Years Old)**_

Emma opened her eyes as she let out a held breath. Travelling was never easy. She glanced down at her attire. Back to her usual jeans and tank top of course. It would always be a mystery to her as to why the travel changed her clothing as well; but she had learned to just trust it. She'd never forget the time she ended up stark naked in a place she didn't know because she refused to give her jeans up mid-travel.

With a sigh she stood up and cracked her neck, picking up a small diary as she waddled to the fridge. Flipping the small leather bound book open she looked at the dates. Two weeks and a day. It was always the worst when there was such a little amount of time between her jumps. It exhausted her in more ways than one. This time had been no different.

Regina had been so young. Possibly the youngest Emma had ever seen her. She looked so scared of her. It was perhaps the first time they had ever met Emma realized. All of the other times she had travelled, Regina had recognised her.

She let her shoulders sag as she peered into the fridge. She liked whenever she got to travel back as far as that though. Little Regina was the cutest version of Regina. She remembered being dragged to the stables when Regina was fourteen so she could show Emma her new horse. Winston. Emma hated that damn horse.

Laughing she finally plucked the juice from the fridge and sat back down on the couch with it, staring out at the lights of Boston city. Briefly she wondered where Regina was now. She knew they were decades apart at this age, but she couldn't help but wonder. Perhaps she'd be still riding her damn horse, if it even lived that long. And then Emma grimaced, the oldest she'd seen Regina was also at Regina's lowest point in life; she'd been muttering something about curses. With all her heart then and there, Emma hoped that the woman had lived, that she was still thriving and alive.

Letting out one more deep breath, Emma reclined on the couch and let sleep take her. She dreamed of magic and kingdoms and knights in shining armour. Something people would call her crazy over. But something she knew existed somewhere out there; far beyond what any normal eye could possibly see.


	2. Chapter 2

**Authors Note: **Thanks for all the comments, favourites and follows, I had no idea this would be as popular as it is. Really everyone, thank you. Just remember though, this story is only taking after the 'Time Travellers Wife' concept; and therefore will obviously not take the story scene for scene. Hope I can do the concept justice though.

* * *

**Chapter Two**

_**Boston - Massachusetts  
Emma (25 Years Old)**_

Her fifteen days of reprieve were nearly up. She knew the exact time she was due to travel again; a much older version of Regina had told her so. Emma had taken the afternoon off work, called in sick and faked a horrible cough. She sat rugged up on the couch, a mug of cinnamon hot cocoa cradled in her hands.

Apparently today had been something special between them; at least that's what the older Regina had said. Emma was apprehensive. She'd travelled a lot in the years since she'd gained the little quirk to do so, and each time was as scary as the last. She feared one day she'd travel and Regina wouldn't recognise, kill her on the spot - or worse, somebody else caught her.

The time finally came though. She could feel the gnawing tug at something deep inside her. She'd learned there was no point in resisting it; it would tear you apart in the most painful of ways possible otherwise. Instead she gently placed the half empty mug down and closed her eyes. One last gasp of air was all she could managed before she felt herself be ripped away from her couch, from Boston, from her very world.

* * *

_**Mills Estate - White Kingdom  
Regina (10 Years Old)**_

To say Regina Mills was excited was an understatement. She had arrived an hour early to their little meeting spot. A lie was told to her mother. She was going out to categorise wild herbs for their magical properties. Her mother had eaten it up and handed her the information book for her to fill in with sample leaves.

Two moons had passed far too slowly for the little girl. She had spent as much of her time as possible with her head buried in books to try to figure out the mystery behind the hooded stranger, and had come up with a myriad of conclusions. Firstly the woman had to have been of magic origin, perhaps a fairy, or an elf. Secondly the woman had to be immensely powerful. Teleportation took a lot out of anyone, including her mother, and she was the strongest magic wielder Regina knew.

"Already waiting for me?" a voice chuckled out behind her.

Regina whipped around only to find the hooded figure a mere few feet away. For only a moment she was stunned at how the woman had managed to get as close as she was. Those odd grey eyes still shimmered beneath the hood, just barely visible with the little light the shadows allowed. "You're late actually."

"I'm never late, a Knight arrives precisely when they mean to," _White_ laughed out, bowing her head slightly in greeting before taking her seat on the boulder she sat on two moons prior.

"You're hardly a Knight, you haven't any armour, or courage, or a sword" Regina quipped, taking as much a Queenly pose as she could muster.

"Ahh how the Queen's words sting her humble friend," the hooded figure feigned pain as she grabbed at her chest, mocking falling backwards slightly.

Regina couldn't help but let out a small laugh before coughing it back and attempting to show her 'royal' and passive face again, "Why should the Queen of the Black Kingdom make you her trusted Knight anyway hmm?" she leaned forward as she had seen the upper-class in court do.

"Because I'm brave," _White _started as she began to slightly pace, using her fingers to count her traits on, "I'm strong, I'm a decent sharp shooter, and because I'll protect you my Queen, now until the end of time," the hooded woman bowed deeply, before peering up at Regina with a playful smirk.

Regina rose to her feet, barely standing taller than the still bowing woman. She quickly searched the area for a stick before returning with it and motioning for _White_ to kneel. The woman quickly did so, as knightly as someone in a heavy hooded cloak could possibly do.

With a cough to clear her nerves away, Regina laid the stick on the Knights shoulders, "Will you, the White Knight, forever swear an oath under the Black Kingdom, to protect the Queen and to be brave in the face of danger?"

"I sure do," answered _White_ as informally as possible, earning a whack across against her neck with the stick, "I mean, yes your majesty, I swear an oath to you and all your kingdom to be the most brave and strong knight to have ever served you."

"Good that will do," Regina said gleefully, motioning for _White_ to stand as she sat back down, "At least you've sworn an oath you can't go allying with the enemy."

_White_ sat down on the boulder beside her, "And who might that be?"

"She's a Queen from a neighbouring land...her name is umm," Regina quickly glanced around the area, intent on not using her mother's actual name, still in fear that the hooded Knight was actually working for her "Coralyn."

"I would never ally myself with someone that goes by the name of Coralyn anyway," the heavy hood visibly shuddered, "For my first task, why don't I accompany you on a walk milady? Perhaps filling that little book of yours with some _actual_ magical herbs before you return home might be a good idea. Just sayin' I know from experience how nosey some parents are."

Regina blushed before nodding and walking away, knowing all too well the hooded Knight was on her heels. They were quiet for a long while as they walked peacefully amongst the trees. She had tried to see the woman's hidden face by throwing not-so-hidden glances her way; nearly tumbling over several uprooted trees in the process.

The Knight was surely something. Except for her father, Regina had never really been treated particularly nicely. And even though the woman was a very private person, she liked her mysterious company. She felt safe. It was like she'd finally gotten the friend she'd wished for such a long time for.

"So..." she drawled slightly, picking leaves from a small bush, "now you're my Knight, may I please know your real name?"

The hooded figure stopped in her tracks. She opened her mouth to reply before closing it again, repeating this several times before just shaking her head.

"Why? It's only fair! You knew my name before I even told you! Why can't I know yours?" rather impatiently she flung her arms across her chest, heaving a sigh and a pout.

When still no answer came from the Knight, Regina huffed again and began to stomp off back towards the Kingdom, glaring daggers at the woman. She expected the answer she got but at the same time, she had been hopeful. And for that simple fact that her very own Knight had been the one to crush that hope, she felt inordinately sad.

* * *

_**Mills Estate - White Kingdom  
Emma (25 Years Old)**_

She watched Regina walk away, her heart settling heavy in her chest. She didn't want to hurt the girl, but at the same time she didn't want to reveal herself. She was terrified. There was nothing not to fear when telling people your name like that - trusting them with that kind of thing. And yet a much older Regina's voice echoed through her head. Today marked something special between them. Emma wondered whether it was this - how was she even supposed to know?

All she knew was that at twelve, during a bad storm that had pulled her into this world, Regina had known her name and face; and at fourteen, during the famously named 'Horse Incident', Regina had taken to calling her 'Em'. Emma had been sixteen and twenty-one respectively during those few travels. She just wasn't sure when her name was exchanged in between those missing years she had not yet visited or just skipped over.

"Emma," she said, watching the girl a fair distance from her now, simply freeze on the spot, "Emma, my name is Emma."

She had waited for the familiar tug on whatever it was that allowed her travel when she had said too much to someone. And she had waited. And when nothing came she allowed herself to peer up through the shadows of her hood.

Regina turned around and regarded her. The girl had walked rather close in the moments Emma believe she was gone. And then she felt a small hand in her own, "Stop dazing out on me Knight Emma, we have kingdom work to be doing."

For all her worries, Emma was fine. It was obviously the right time to tell her. There was no insistent pulling at her soul - only a warm feeling that seemed to cause her to smile. She blindly followed the girl back to the clearing, only half listening in on her excited chatter. Knowing that the moment she was currently in was the moment that changed everything else made her feel both anxious and giddy.

She spent the next several hours discussing irrelevant things with her 'Queen', the sun was touching the horizon by the time they had finished. Emma smiled at the girl before her, "As much as this Knight appreciates your company, you need to be getting home, having your mother come looking for you and spoiling our kingdom wouldn't be particularly fantastic."

Regina look terrified for a moment as she realized the time before she scurried around and picked her book up and gathered her boots, haphazardly slipping them on. With enough manners drilled into her, she turned on the spot, "Knight Emma, when is your next quest to the kingdom due?"

"From me?" Emma shrugged, "You won't get one from me for a while yet I should think. But keep an eye out anyway. You never know which one of me you might get wandering into your lands."

The girl looked perplexed, suddenly far more interested in her Knight than heading home, "Which one of you? There's more than one?"

"Kind of, you're a smart person Regina, you'll work it on your own, trust me on that one. If you stay a little longer, you'll get to see me go again."

Regina didn't even give a second thought as she plopped herself back on her throne, "Where do you go when you turn to dust?"

"Home" Emma replied.

"Where's home?"

"In a land far beyond your own."

The next question came as a surprise to Emma, "When I see you next, will you remember me?"

"Perhaps..." Emma replied carefully before leaning down, feeling the tug in her gut, "But always remember this Regina, as long as you remember who I am, I will never forget you," her hands were always the first thing to disappear and even though she knew they were situated at Regina's shoulders, she could not feel the girl beneath her.

Regina frowned, tears forming at the edges of her eyes. Emma knew what she was feeling. It was the same thing she felt when she was twelve and this entire travelling thing had begun. Her first meeting was with a teenage version of the girl sitting before her. And leaving her only friend who seemed to know some much about her behind after only a few short hours, Emma had been devastated.

"You know my name now Regina," she said, feeling her legs disappear, "that means more than you can comprehend now. Stay safe."

And with that. Emma was gone. Dust yet once again travelling on the wind.

* * *

_**Boston - Massachusetts  
Emma (25 Years Old)**_

Emma sat up with a start, her hands reaching out to a girl no longer in her reach. Her breathing was heavy and she felt tears well up in her eyes. Of all the times she had seen and spent with Regina at different ages, they had all told her of a day that seemed so sad and so happy at the same time. A day where Regina had given her purpose and Emma had given her hope.

Snatching up the diary beside the still lukewarm cup of cocoa, Emma flipped through the pages. Nine months. That was when her next travel was due. She threw the book in frustration. Nine long months of waiting. As much as she appreciated the older Regina giving her the times and dates in her own worlds setting - she hated the wait. And hated when Regina hadn't listed her age at the time of visit.

Sighing heavily Emma retrieved her cocoa and lay back against the lounge, looking out over the afternoon sky that encapsulated Boston. She'd be twenty-six before her next visit; and for a moment she briefly wondered whether or not trying to will the powers at work to let her spend it with her favourite version of Regina, would work or not.

With a laugh she shook her head at her own stupidity. Of course it wouldn't. Nine months

Nine.

Months.

She shut her eyes and instead let herself be taken briefly into her dreams of her travels. Before waking up again and settling into her nightly routine. Another year alone it seemed.

* * *

**Authors Note 2: **Not beta read again. Shhh. I'm just too lazy and impatient. I hope this chapter was alright. It was more difficult to write than chapter 1 and chapter 3, that's for sure.


	3. Chapter 3

**Authors Note: **The next few updates might have a few days (possibly a weeks) wait between them, I'm not sure yet; I'm applying for accommodation and getting set for university next year, so everything is _very_ busy right now and it's _very_ hot over here in Australia which is not good writing weather. That being said, enjoy the chapter. Little bit of a time-jump here (forward for Regina, backwards for Emma...kind of). But we finally get an insight into Regina's side of things! Yay!

* * *

**Chapter Three**

_**Mills Estate - White Kingdom  
Regina (14 Years Old)**_

Her eyes glanced at the large grandfather clock on the far wall, her leg bobbing impatiently beneath the table. Twice now her mother had scolded her for being impolite to their guests. Some old family friends. She really did try her hardest to concentrate on their idle breakfast chatter but she was anxious to just be excused. Her father watched her carefully, smiling when she half ducked away from her mother's scathing glaring for yet again seeming uninterested.

Henry Mills wasn't a daft old man. He knew his daughter better than she probably knew herself. And the look on her face at this very point in time was one of complete and utter annoyance. He knew she had wanted to be at the stables early; why, he had no idea, but that didn't change the fact she was still now stuck at the dining table into the late morning.

"Cora dear," he had said as sweetly as possible, hoping to dodge his own set of angry frowns, "Why don't we move the conversation to the sitting room. The dining hall gets awfully stuffy this time of day," he waved his hands in front of his face to spice up the act; glancing at his daughter as he was doing so.

The older woman glowered at him for a moment before hearing the agreeing murmurs of her guests and immediately took to standing, "Very well then, if you'll follow me," and as she passed her annoyed daughters seat gave her a glance that spoke volumes. _Leave, before you embarrass us further_.

Regina stood and said her farewells, bowing her head in almost identical fashion as her mother had taught her. Before finally being relieved of her courteous duty. She would have to thank her father later; she knew he asked for it on purpose. She was glad he could read her distress.

With one final glance down the hallway, sure the guests had disappeared from sight, she immediately took off down the opposite hallway, slinking out the door as quiet as possible. She was late, very late. And she had no idea how long she had today. Quick and as lady-like as possible she made her way down to the stables, the hot mid-morning sun taking its toll on her skin.

As she rounded the corner and spotted the open stable door she breathed a sigh of relief. Her friend was still here. Pushing it open slightly and sticking her head in, finding it devoid of any human life, she nervously called out, "I thought we agreed you would never hide and scare me..."

A blonde head popped up over the fence of the empty end stall, a grin adoring their features. Regina noticed she looked older than the one she met three months earlier. She breathed a sigh of relief and moved fully through the heavy door, shutting it behind her.

"You're late," said the blonde, flopping their arms over the stalls gate, "But I suppose I _was_ warned that would happen."

Regina had known this blonde, her Knight, her Emma, for four years now. Four long and sometimes lonely years. She still didn't have a good grasp on _how_ the woman, sometimes girl, did what she did. But Regina was glad nonetheless.

"Yes well if my mother had been more lenient about our guests I would have been down here on time; she threatened me with lashes twice at the table, said glancing at the clock was hardly courteous of me."

"Your mother is right," Emma glanced around the stable before looking back at the girl "So, what you must be fourteen, fifteen nowadays?"

"Fourteen summers. How old are you? The last time I saw you, you were fifteen. But you only stayed for a little while. Said something about a force pulling you back to where you're from."

Emma nodded, her eyes looking glazed over a moment as she remembered, "Yeah it was my foster mother. She wasn't too happy with me missing that's for sure," the blonde laughed, "I'm twenty-one at the current moment, turning twenty-two in a few months. What's the oldest you've seen me at, just curious?"

Regina looked thoughtful for a moment. Digging through her own memories. Truthfully, she wasn't quite sure of the ages of some of the Emma's she had met. Especially her first meetings with the woman. The hood had hidden far too much. After some time of silence she simply shrugged, "I have no idea actually. I've not seen you particularly old at all; even when we first met I don't think you were much over thirty summers, even with the hood disguising your face"

The blonde let out a laugh before snapping her fingers in a 'damn it' motion. Silently communicating her disapproval of her magic's way of dressing her. Sometimes she would turn up in the same outfit she happened to be wearing in her own time and place; Regina loved those times. All those silly little gadgets on the outfits. Zippers had confused her to no end. Other times Emma had turned up in hunting gear appropriate for the weather. Or just in her very first outfit. A hood that had magical properties of its own, hiding her face from her onlookers.

Regina ended the strange silence a moment later, "Why are you in the horses stall anyway?" she raised an eyebrow in a fashion that she noted made the blonde smile.

"A boy came in to feed and tend to the foul beasts," Emma sneered at the animal in the opposing stall which just huffed at her before turning its head, "And I chose the empty stall the kid wouldn't look in."

Regina took on an offended look, playfully shoving her friend, "They are not foul beasts; you're the foul beast. Horses are beautiful and majestic and the most..."

"-Evil creature nature ever designed," Emma finished her sentence, earning another playful nudge.

"Stop being so close minded, I thought you were a Knight, brave and strong."

The blonde rose an eyebrow before nodding in understanding, "Right, so older me told you I was brave. Older me is such a little liar," she laughed as she shimmied out the gate, "Horses are scary alright. They have teeth."

Regina couldn't help but let out a giggle when her Knight pointed at her own teeth, glaring daggers at the horses around her. She grabbed the woman's hand and dragged her over to the stall containing her own horse, Apollo. Emma had almost dug her heels in at even getting remotely close to the animal.

"Stop fussing, you're worse than a child," she huffed as Emma took a step back from the gate.

"Says the actual child, I'm the adult here," Emma earned a glare for that one.

The horse eyed the two of them skeptically, more than trusting of his master and friend, but snorting at the other female he had never seen before. Regina smiled at him, pressing her hand against his head in affection before turning back to the blonde who had retreated a few more steps backwards.

"Come on you coward, at least act the part of the Knight you promised me you would be," she scowled, all to grown up and adult-like for being a child still. A hand was held out to offer further encouragement.

* * *

_**Mills Estate - White Kingdom  
Emma (21 Years Old)**_

Emma looked at the hand apprehensively. She was terrified. She hated horses more than she hated birds - and she _really_ didn't like birds. Horses could bite and trample and throw you off. And bite. She wasn't sure how many times she had told herself that in her head. And yet, she took the hand offered to her; cursing her future self for talking up being brave.

She glanced at the teenage face of the older woman she had seen only weeks before, "You sure he won't bite?"

"I'm sure," the reassuring voice said, but it didn't exactly reach the girls eyes.

Emma whined again, shutting her eyes tightly before allowing her hand to be held out towards the animal, and then with a little jump she felt a soft nuzzling against it. When she opened her eyes she found the horse rubbing its snout into her hand affectionately. In an instant she had gained a cockiness she hadn't had in years.

"Oh yeah see Regina, horses ain't that bad," she talked herself up, gently petting the white creatures nose, grinning wildly at the girl next to her.

Regina shook her head, allowing the woman to revel in her poor attempt at bravery, "Yes well Apollo is extremely well trained. I told you, horses aren't as bad as you- EMMA"

It happened all too fast for Emma. She heard her name screamed from the young girl and then as fast as her reflexes allowed she had turned to face the horse again, just in time to see it about to munch down on her hand. What happened in the next few moments Emma would forever remember as being the 'Horse Incident'

Quick as lightning she had wrenched her hand away, scampered backwards, managed to dodge the young girl behind her and slam into the opposing stall; all while yelling obscenities at the creature. And in the few moments she believed she was safe, huddled against the gate behind her; she felt a warm breath against her ear and then a curious nuzzling involving a horse tongue against her cheek. She had never yet again moved so fast, this time just collapsing in the centre of the stables and curling into a ball that resembled none of the bravery she supposedly swore an oath upon.

Regina had paused, watching her intently during the entire debacle before bursting out into the sweetest laughter Emma had ever heard. For her part, the blonde simply pouted, feeling entirely unlike the responsible adult she was.

"Stop laughing," she whined, still half curled up on the floor of the stables, "It's not even that funny!"

"On the contrary," Regina replied, stifling a laugh, "It was quite funny"

Emma pouted which ended up looking more like a scowl before getting up and storming back to her empty stall; or rather the _safe_ end of the stables. She felt like an idiot. Of course the horse had tried to bite her, she knew she shouldn't have trusted the girl. She was as devious as her older counterpart.

Looking back up to see Regina leaning regally against the gate adorning a smile she couldn't help but grin too, "Okay so maybe it was a _little_ funny," she admitted, leaning against the wall.

"I have never seen someone move as quick as you did in such a short amount of time," Regina couldn't help but let out another giggle, "I blinked twice and you had moved across the stable and then on the ground."

"Yeah well if you hadn't convinced me to do that I would never have had to suffer the experience of a horse nearly munching my hand from my wrist," the overdramatic portrayal of the story was hardly necessary but Emma refused to believe the animal wasn't trying to kill her in some way.

She saw Regina smile again before the girls face suddenly turned to panic. She tried to make sense of why the girl looked so alarmed all of a sudden, but as she glanced around the stable she saw no discernible reason and then she heard the quiet, "No you can't leave yet. I only just got here..."

Emma hadn't been paying attention to the time, she hadn't realized the sun had reached its highest point, the time she had been scheduled to travel home as written in the little diary given to her years ago. She looked down at her hands as they shimmered with the beginnings of it all; and then looked back up to Regina who had moved into the stall with her.

She tried to remain steady as she felt the grip pull at her stomach, "I'll be back, you know I'll always come back; you said I promised you that, and I _always_ stick to my promises."

Even though she had put as much promise into her voice as possible she couldn't help but feel her heart break for the younger girl. Emma travelled all the time, but a lot of the time she was not certain on the age of the girl she often visited. And such, as much as she wanted to reassure her, she could not remember the next time she was due.

Regina sniffled as she held back tears, nodding at Emma before stuttering out, "Yeah you'll always be back, even if I wanted to get rid of you and your dislike of horses."

Emma felt the pull increase tenfold, she had to give in, attempting to stay grounded any longer and she would risk being hurt when she arrived back to her apartment. She smiled and let out a held breath, reaching up and placing a hand on the girls shoulder, "Yeah too bad your stuck with me huh?"

With one last laugh shared between them, Emma felt herself being torn away completely, as painlessly as possible of course - giving in always appeased whatever the force was. She saw her hands disappear and then when she blinked, she was in darkness; gone from the world that she just previously stood in.

* * *

_**Mills Estate - White Kingdom  
Regina (14 Years Old)**_

As her Knight completely disappeared, Regina finally let the tears appear. It was always the same. Whenever the woman, left her behind Regina felt utterly alone. Emma was her best friend, her only true friend, and sometimes she thought that the woman wasn't even real. Just a figment of her imagination or a ploy devised by her mother.

With one last glance around the small hay filled box, she forwarded back out of the stall, latching the gate behind her. And as she turned around, she nearly quite well died from her heart leaping out of her chest at the sight of her father, huddled just inside the stables doorway.

Silence enveloped the both of them. Regina was suddenly terrified that her little secret had been found out - or worse that she really was just seeing things and her father thought she was crazed as a wildling. Instead she just saw a soft grin adorn her father's face.

"With your friend again sweetheart?" Henry Mills questioned, glancing around the stable before looking back at his daughter, "Where is she now?"

Regina immediately set to trying to deny it, "I-I wasn't with anyone daddy I swear, I was just talking to Apollo and then ...wanting to move him into this stable..." her lie didn't even sound believable to her.

"Sweetheart, I've seen the girl around before, I do believe she tried climbing some hedges just last week before she fell backwards. You should tell her to be more careful, if your mother finds such a strangely dressed person she might do something _neither_ of us will want."

Henry Mills. Her father. The most kind man Regina had ever met. He knew, he had seen her Knight and hadn't thought any different of her; nor had he told her mother. In that moment his love for her was just reaffirmed to a degree Regina couldn't even believe. She flung her arms around his him and whispered a thank you into his ear.

"So," her father said as she finally detached from him, "Where is this girl? I would very much like to meet her face to face. See what has my princess so occupied."

Regina's face fell as she fiddled with the hem of her blouse, "She's gone. She leaves pretty quickly. You just missed her."

"Ahh well, things happen; perhaps next time hmm?" he mused, "I might even be able to provide her with clothes that won't get her in any trouble. Oh yes. She was about your size. Taller maybe. Yes excuse me as I go sort this out sweetheart."

He kissed her forehead before wandering back off to the mansion, deep in thought of the clothes for his daughters friend. Regina on the other hand stood dumbstruck in the doorway for a good minute or so. Her father's willingness and acceptance of Emma was hardly surprising, he had always been nice to her, providing her what she wished. And today was no different.

In the end she simply laughed and made her way back up to the manor as well, a large grin adorning her face as she pushed open the door and set back to her days duties. Today had been good she decided. And nothing could put her down from the high she was currently on, not even the sour look her mother had given her for abandoning brunch.

* * *

**Authors Note 2: **I hope you all like Henry's part in this. I love him as a character _so_ much. Plus a loving, doting father and a cruel, evil mother? Greatest family dynamic for fic writing ever.


	4. Chapter 4

**Authors Note: **Sorry for the wait. First my computer completely died and then I had to go away for a week. And then the computer died again. Good ol' Dell computers eh? Back now though. The last introductory chapter before Storybrooke! Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter Four  
**

_**Mills Estate - White Kingdom  
Regina (19 Years Old)**_

Dead.

Daniel was dead.

That's all Regina knew. That's all she cared about.

Her mother had killed the person Regina loved most in life. He had died in her arms as the ashes of his heart scattered amongst the wind.

'_I loved him!_' she had cried at her. She had begged the woman not to do it. But Cora's greed, her selfishness, had forced her to disregard her daughters plea.

So he had died.

That was two days ago.

Regina had been in the barn during every free moment, curled into a ball, her fists closed tightly around Daniel's old jacket, the ring weighing heavily around her neck. Tomorrow she would be married off to the King. She dreaded that more than anything. A life of loneliness and despair. She felt heavy and yet empty at the same time.

She buried her face into the man's jacket, nuzzling it as if it were alive, as if it would bring the real thing back to her. If only they had been quicker, perhaps her mother wouldn't have found her. She hated herself for all the things she could have done to prevent Cora's arrival, all the things she could have done to buy them time.

Her tears fell heavy into the jacket as she pulled it impossibly closer. The past few days were rushing back at her over and over again. Death. Tears. Dresses. Tears. The King. Tears. Her mother. Tears. Emma. _Emma_. She hadn't seen her in the longest time. She let out an audible sob at that. She needed her warrior now more than ever; but had no way of asking for her presence.

"I need you my Knight. I need you," she whispered futility into the fabric, begging the magic, "Emma I need you here..."

* * *

_**The Dark Palace - The Enchanted Forest  
Emma (27 Years Old)**_

She was staring at the woman in front of her with a carefully raised eyebrow. Emma had travelled a lot in her years since obtaining the ability, and not once had she travelled and seen _herself_. And she hardly expected to see herself dressed in some medieval-like leathery hunting gear; the imposter even had a thick cloak lined with some kind of animal fur surrounding her shoulders.

She'd been standing in the same position for several minutes. While she knew she was supposed to travel today, the diary given to her by a future version of her Queen, had specified it was quite some time after this. And yet the tugging feeling had appeared in an instant, and she had been forced to follow it.

"Who...where am I?" she questioned carefully, hardly amused by the smirk that appeared on her doppelgangers face.

"The Dark Palace of course," her own voice answered back, a mocking tone obvious, "You've been here before, albeit different though. I remembering being as scared as you the first time I saw myself."

Emma shook her head, slapping her cheek twice in an attempt to wake up. Whatever this dream was she was sick of it. The other Emma laughed, "Don't bother, you'll just hurt yourself."

"Why am I here? This was never mentioned in the diary."

The other Emma shrugged before fiddling with something around her neck, "It's preparation for things to come. A warning as such."

"A warning for what?"

"The future. You'll hear a voice soon. Don't be scared of it. She's just calling for you."

Emma looked around frantically, running a hand through her hair in a panicked fashion; staying silent as the older her continued, "Today's the beginning of everything. And the end in many ways. This is the last time your current aged self will travel to the timeline you've been travelling to."

"What!?" Emma screamed, her mood turned terrified, she couldn't just leave Regina behind. During her last jump, the older, darker version of the woman had been acting strange, muttering about curses and love and more curses. She had killed her horse the day before Emma had arrived; Apollo had been a good horse and as much as she hated him, Emma knew something was terribly wrong.

"No!" she continued, storming up to her other self, "Listen here okay! Explain what the hell you mean and stop being cryptic. I'm-_we're_ not a cryptic kind of person."

The older Emma smiled a sad smile. It even reached her eyes. It wasn't a lying kind of smile. It wasn't full of hope or promise. It was full of so much sadness that it hurt Emma herself, "When you leave soon," the older her spoke carefully, "You need to patient with her, okay? She'll come to you...eventually. Love is the most powerful thing in the world. But sometimes, it takes a lot to realize that it's standing right in front of you."

Emma paused as she watched the emotions roll across the woman's face. She had so many questions. Why was her future self _here_. She lived in Boston. When did that change. Did a future jump force her to stay. And when did it happen. The older woman didn't look much older than herself. Her head hurt. All of this was too confusing. And as she flung her hand up to her face she heard the voice. The one she warned herself of.

"_Emma I need you here..._"

She looked up at the older Emma's understanding smile, her head throbbing as she felt the tendrils of her magic pull at her stomach.

"_Please Emma, please..._"

"I hear her," Emma said against the pain surrounding her entire being, "She sounds so sad. Why is she sad? I can handle her angry or crazed, I can't handle sad."

"Remember Emma, be patient," older Emma reassured her.

The tendrils gripped harder as she tried to fight it. She wanted to stay, she had questions that needed answering. The black haze at the edge of her eyes started, her head had stopped hurting and had just turned into a numbing drone. She could feel herself unwillingly giving her body over to the magic.

It was in the last few moments before her vision went completely black that she saw _her._ Not herself, no. Another woman so alike the Regina she had seen time and time again; and yet so _not _at the same time. _Light. Happy_. She saw mouths moving but heard no voices. And then nothing. She was moving yet again with unanswered questions, and worse, no idea where she was going.

* * *

_**Mills Estate - White Kingdom  
Emma (27 Years Old)  
Regina (19 Years Old)**_

Apparently being cruelly ripped from one timeline to another was more than Emma's body could handle and in the haze of travel she had forgotten one important factor. Landing. She had barely a second to register the ground was coming towards her before she landed with a sickening thump, sprawling out into the most uncomfortable position she'd ever been.

With a strangled groan she pushed herself to her knees, rubbing the dirt from her face and clothes, checking ever so carefully for any obvious injuries. Finally after she thought she was in the clear she glanced at her surroundings. Trees. Lots of them. The dark sky with the sound of distant thunder was less than comforting.

Twiddling her thumbs a moment longer Emma rose to her feet and began the trek through the forest; barely an idea of where she actually heading, knowing only that it felt right. During her trek to find an end to the woods, Emma had time to consider her current predicament. She only had her own clothes to base her journey off. They hadn't changed. Not even when she had arrived in the castle. And the diary entry hadn't mentioned what she had been wearing. In fact it hadn't mentioned much at all. Only that she had indeed travelled to the estate that day.

The knowledge her counterpart had given her weighed heavily on her as well. This would be her last journey here. From her time to this time. It hurt her head to think on it too much. She had seen every bit of Regina she could possibly think of. At eighteen years old Emma had seen Regina at what she had presumed was the oldest she'd ever met her. Regina had been crazed then. She'd seen, and heard, a lot about curses in the years she had been traveling; but it had reached boiling point by that stage; there was talk of hearts and a gathering. And the fruition of that was the terrified and broken Regina she had met in her previous jump; still talking of curses. But the woman she had seen just now. The one who looked so much like her Regina, and yet different. How old had that one been?

Emma groaned. It was at a far too late hour of the evening to be thinking of that. She had to focus on the forest around her as it was. She'd been introduced one too many times to the beasts this world had to offer and in her current attire she realized she'd be meat on an open platter.

In the distance haze she saw what she had been searching for, the glow of the stable torches and in the distance the flickering candles of the manor she had never once stepped foot in. Digging her hands deep into her pockets she journeyed towards the stables, her breath coming out as a fine mist in front of her. She hoped Regina hadn't been waiting too long in the cold.

As she crept towards the door and peeked in, finding the hall of the stables empty she let out a breath she hardly realized she was holding; finally stepping through the threshold and into the warmth. Apollo looked at her with such a sense of urgency, huffing and throwing his head slightly, that Emma thought he definitely had to have been human in another life. She wasted no time however as she darted towards where he was directing his attention.

Curled up at the back of one of the empty stables, her blue riding attire stained with tears and dirt from the floor, was Regina in a way that Emma had _never_ seen her. She had to pause to take the girl in completely; her head was buried in her arms, her shoulders shaking with sobs and a murmur that sounded like she was whimpering Emma's name.

Emma's heart broke then and there for her, she could feel _something _tugging deep inside her and it hurt more than she could imagine. Her own tears began to well in her eyes unconsciously and as she lifted the hatch of the stables, alerting Regina to her presence, she saw just how broken the girl was. Her eyes were an angry shade of red and she had a visible bruise forming on her cheek, evidence of a harsh slap.

For only a moment they were both frozen still, their eyes locked on one another before Regina finally broke the silence with a strangled, "Emma".

Before she could grasp what was happening the girl had thrown herself into Emma's arms, hands tightening around her body searching for solace. Emma for her part nuzzled her head into Regina's and gripped just as tight back, whispering the most reassuring things she could think of. She had no idea what had happened. Her first thought was a fight with her stable friend, but that boy would never hurt Regina, of that Emma was sure. And then she thought of Cora. Her demeanour changed suddenly as she pulled back, eyeing the girl carefully.

"Regina, what happened? Who did this?" she questioned, her hands never once leaving the girl's body, moving to assure her that she was here, that she wasn't to be feared.

With another strangled cry Regina turned away, swiping at the bridles hanging from the wall, easily knocking them down before turning her sights on Emma again. Fresh tears cascaded down her cheeks as she spat out the words that almost instantly struck Emma frozen, "He's dead! Daniel is dead. She killed him," her angry resolve crumbled as she fought for air, fought for life, "He's dead because of her, we didn't move fast enough. I loved him Emma. I loved him."

Emma breaking from her dumbstruck state, carefully approached her, gently taking her arms in her hands before wrapping Regina up in another hug, this one far calmer than the last. She rubbed circles on her back as she whispered apologies over and over again.

Regina nuzzled her face into her Knight's shoulders, her body once again out of tears to shed and far too exhausted for it anyway. She breathed deeply and circled her arms around Emma's waist, listening to the calming words coming from the blonde. She hadn't felt this safe since just before Daniel had died. She hated to admit it, but she needed this comfort.

"Cora killed him?" Emma finally asked, unbeknownst to Regina, she was glaring daggers at the wall, her usual steely eyes storming with a mixture of anger and sadness, "Why would...how...I should have been here to protect you," she unconsciously gripped tighter to the girl pressed into her, "So much for being your Knight."

A nervous and pained laugh was all that greeted in her response. Regina's voice was husky and dry and so laced with sadness that Emma simply couldn't deal with it. She'd never had to deal with something like this. Her entire life had been one big succession of taking care of herself and only herself. This changed all that. _Regina_ changed all that.

The girl in question pulled back from the embrace finally, staring up at Emma through her dishevelled hair, "You came when I called for you," was muttered barely above a whisper. Her hazel eyes, hazed by sadness made contact with Emma's steel ones again, "You're more of a Knight than you know."

Emma smiled lopsided, placing her forehead against Regina's, "We'll get through this, alright? Everything will be fine. Your mother will pay her price for killing Daniel. I guarantee it on my knightly honour."

Regina laughed another pained laugh, content on letting her hands run through Emma's golden hair as the woman who stood only barely above her smiled goofily in an attempt to bring a proper smile to her own face. It would have succeeded too had it not been for the cold, bitter _giggle_ that had erupted from behind them.

Emma spun around with such ferocity she nearly lost her footing, her hand absentmindedly reaching for a weapon that was not there. Beside her Regina tensed, her hand grabbed onto Emma's arm, nails drawing blood. Cora. In all her glory with an umbrella perched behind her despite it being sometime late at night.

"You really think you can defeat me, foolish girl?" Cora asked with an air of superiority that made Emma grind her teeth, "And you," Cora's attention turned quickly on her daughter, "I thought I taught you better than to cavort with the scum of the world. Come here darling," the woman outstretched her bony thin hand towards them, gesturing for her daughter to return to her.

Emma held Regina in place, eyeing Cora with such detest that she was sure she was basically seething with it, "You stay the hell away from her, you understand me?" her voice came out far more low and dangerous than she expected it to.

The outstretched hand turned into a raised one and before Emma could really figure out what was going on, Regina had put herself between her and her mother, "Mother no! Mother please...please don't."

A fresh batch of tears began to fall from Regina's eyes again as she pleaded with the woman in front of her. A lowered hand was all that she needed before her resolve broke and she pulled away from Emma, staggering towards her mother, "I'll go with you please, just leave her alone. She doesn't deserve this."

"Well that's all I wanted my darling," Cora spoke in a sweet voice that made Emma cringe, and then flare with anger as she saw the glint in the woman's eye. She had only a second to comprehend what was happening when a ball of hot fire whizzed past her ducked head, fizzling out on the back wall of the stall.

Emma stared at the woman in disbelief and then at Regina who was grabbing at her mother's free arm, her pleas falling on deaf ears. Is this what her future self had tried to warn her of? Is this why she was not able to travel anymore? Because this crazed woman had tried to kill her. When her attention focused back on the woman she saw the struggle between her and her daughter.

Regina was quickly overpowered however and before Emma could even think of defending her, a jewelled hand rose up and struck down with such ferocity it sent the girl rocketing into the ground. Emma cried out, shoving past Cora and completely ignoring her magic. Her sole focus was her friend, her Queen.

"Regina," she cried, her voice raspy as she cradled the sobbing girl in her arms, blood seeping from a gash on her lip "Oh god Regina, no. What have you done!?" she screamed at Cora, "Look at what you've done! You call yourself a mother! You're nothing but a pathetic bitch."

It was as the last syllable left her mouth that Emma felt the unmistakeable tug at somewhere deep inside her. _No. No, no, no, god please no_, she chanted in her head, willing the magic to stay down. She couldn't leave yet. Cora was enraged by that point, but Emma paid her no mind, not even when she stalked around behind her.

"Regina, Gina please," she cried, fighting at the incessant pull, stroking the girls face free of hair and straw, "Forgive me, please forgive me," the terrified look on the girls face as her eyes stared at something behind her told Emma more than she needed to know. With a soft and calming smile, despite her tears, she leaned in close and placed a gentle kiss at Regina's temple, "I'm your White Knight, Regina, always remember that. I'm always yours."

She felt a sharp pain in her back, close to where she knew her heart was and in that moment she was glad for her powers as she finally gave into them. Regina frantically grasped at the air for the rapidly disappearing dust. Her mother had retracted her hand in shock and stood still as her daughter scrambled around the stables.

"No Emma, no!" she cried, collecting the settled dust of her friend in her hands, "Please...I need you," she let the dust fall through her fingers as her mother settled in behind her.

"I need you..." she spoke to the emptiness.

* * *

_**Boston - Massachusetts  
Emma (27 Years Old)**_

Emma woke with a start, gasping deep breaths of air and a hand clutching at her chest. She felt for sure that someone had grabbed at her heart. That someone had literally reached in and touched it. A hand over her chest told her it was still there, beating wildly. She calmed its racing down as she gulped at the water on her side table.

Regina alone. She had left Regina alone. With that poisonous woman. And it was her last travel to that time according to her future self. A look at the blank diary from her bookmarked point onwards confirmed it as so. She let out a strangled cry as she began to throw things around her room in anger. A broken lamp was the least of her worries.

"No, no, no," she cried, kicking her shelf, "No...I'm so sorry. So sorry. Please forgive me. Please..."

She stopped at her window and stared out at the mass of a city before her, tears falling more than willingly. The distant hazy stars caught her attention as she sniffled back her sobs, "I love you...".

And for the first time in her life, Emma had meant those words, and only wished somewhere out there, the woman she had come to care for was alright. That her mother hadn't hurt badly. That the talk of curses was just that. _Talk..._

**_TBC..._**

* * *

**AN2. **I hope this chapter is alright? I had some trouble writing it two times over after my darn computer died. Ughh. You lose motivation when you have to rewrite nearly 2000 words and try to remember how your original chapter was going. But hey! Storybrooke and Henry and Mayor Mills up next. Excited? I sure am.


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: **Wow I'm an idiot. I had this uploaded to my Doc Manager for the past few days and forgot to publish it haha. Even after I promised it would be out. I'm very very sorry for this massive delay. Hope you enjoy this chapter nonetheless - had a little trouble writing it must admit. Un-beta'd.

There was a lot of questions by one readers (Anlorew) in a review on my last chapter. So here's a very short answer to them. Wait and see, don't want to spoil things ;)

The big italic pieces are flashbacks.

* * *

**Chapter Five**

_**Six months later...**_

Emma stared at the cupcake in front of her, spinning the match in her fingers as she thought of the wish she'd make this year. She briefly thought about wishing for a pet dinosaur or something mundane and childish like that. But the past six months had been weighing heavily on her and any humour she would have once gotten out of wishing for dinosaurs was lost on her.

Instead she breathed deep and nodded to herself, finally lighting the lone star candle, "Another banner year," she murmured as she closed her eyes and focused hard, taking a moment before flowing the candle out. Even after it had been turned to smoke, Emma kept her eyes closed, willing herself not to dwell on the past; it was her birthday after all, and she deserved even a shred of happiness.

And that's when she heard it. A doorbell. Her doorbell to be precise. She peeked over her shoulder at the offending sound before turning back to eye the cupcake. Surely not. She carefully edged toward the door, peeking through the viewing hole before opening the door and looking out. At first nothing caught her eyes until she glanced downward into the curious face of a boy probably no older than ten.

"I don't want any boy scout cookies," Emma stated, leaning against her doorframe. This certainly didn't _look_ like what she wished for.

"I'm not a boy scout!" the boy grumbled in return, crossing his arms, "I'm looking for Emma Swan."

Emma eyed the kid curiously, she'd never seen him in her life, at least that she could remember; she prayed he wasn't here to try to organize her to collect a bounty on someone. "Okay kid, I'll play, what do you want?" she finally replied.

"My name's Henry, Henry Mills. Can I come in?"

Oblivious to her shocked look, Henry pushed past her. Slowly she turned to him as he rummaged through her fridge, pulling some juice out and more than happily digging into it. _Mills_. A coincidence, surely. Nevertheless, her world had come to a standstill, her breath coming like heavy stones in her chest. Finally closing the door behind her she stalked back through into her kitchen, "Okay kid I don't know who you think you are, but what gives you any right to just-"

She was however cut off before she could finish her tirade, "I'm your son. You know, the one you gave up ten years ago?"

For the second time that night, Emma felt like she was losing her mind. She half contemplated calling the police and walking away forever; but that _name_ was niggling at the back of her mind. Henry however, still unaware of her shock continued talking, "...that doesn't matter though, we need to get going. Storybrooke is still in danger and the longer we stand around here talking, the longer it will take to save it."

"Okay hold up," Emma laughed, pushing him back down onto the stool he had gotten up from in his excitement, "First off what or _where_ is Storybrooke, and _why_ is it in danger?"

"Maine. And I-I can't tell you yet, you're not ready."

That did it. Emma glared at him, her hand clenching at the sides of her jeans, "Kid you are about two seconds away from me calling the cops on you and having you shipped back to Story-whatever-it-was. And don't even for a second think I'm joking..."

"No wait please! Please don't call the cops...Please. Take me home and see it for yourself. You'll see, I promise"

Emma groaned, squeezing the bridge of her nose as she stared at the kid in front of her. She hated her little 'superpower' as she so called it; the other one beside her travelling abilities of course. She could detect when anyone was lying, and the boy in front of her wasn't. Or at least, he sincerely believed with all his heart that he his little backwater town was in serious danger and somehow Emma would be the one to save it. She was Regina's White Knight, not this kids.

Finally after a long moment of silence and pleading eyes of the boys she relented, "Fine! Okay fine, I'll take you home. And quit giving me the damn puppy dog eyes."

Henry burst into a large grin, throwing his arms around her before bounding back towards his bag he had sometime unceremoniously dropped on her kitchen floor and gathering it up in his arms, looking back at her with the same hopeful eyes he had dragged her in wit. Emma shook her head again and pointed to the door, "I said quit it, now get going. We've got a long drive, and we're not stopping"

As she lightly pushed him towards the door she couldn't help but grin at his whined, "Not even for snacks?" that reminded her so much of herself.

* * *

"You said you knew the way!" Emma exclaimed as she peered out the windscreen through the pelting rain, trees flanked either side of the road.

"It was daytime when I left! And I had a map!" Henry yelled back at her, crossing his arms defiantly, "Which we would still have if _you_ hadn't been in such a rush to leave the gas station!"

Emma threw the most poisonous glare she could muster at him as he threw one just as powerful back at her. And as quick as the anger appeared it disappeared as Henry began to giggle, pointing at her, "You were scared of that woman at the ice cream fridge."

In moments she too started to laugh and playfully shoved him, "She was like six foot five and built like a brick house, you'd be scared too if you had a warrant out on her."

"Look! The sign! I told you were going the right way!"

"Welcome to Storybrooke," Emma read off it as they drove past, the rain finally letting up slightly, "It really is a backwater town. I don't think I've seen another car for miles."

Henry let his eyes fall to his book for a moment before looking back up at his birth mother, "That's because they're all trapped," he mumbled, fidgeting in his seat slightly. He knew she wasn't ready to hear any of this, but he still felt the need to tell her.

"Trapped? Who's trapped?" she questioned as he saw the town limits finally come into view, a silent thankyou sent up to whatever omnipotent being was watching their travels.

"The townspeople, they're all trapped here because of the curse."

Emma laughed before looking at him and noting his serious look, "Oh kid you don't honestly believe in curses and magic do you?" she tried, an uneasy feeling settling in her gut at the fact she was the living truth of the existence of magic.

"I told you, you weren't ready to hear it...but it's true, I swear it is."

"Okay, okay. Did I say I didn't believe you? No. What's your address so we can get you home."

"No!" Henry yelled in protest, "No, if you believed me you wouldn't take me home to _her_!"

"Who? Your mother?" she replied, watching the edges of town move by her window, "Listen kid, it's late, too late for curses and magic. Let me just take you home, please."

Henry shook his head again, his arms clutching around his chest in defiance, "No because you'll leave but you can't, you have to save them. You're the White Knight."

Emma froze, her foot landing on the brake as the car finally came to a halt. Her eyes were unfocused on the town in front of her. Her grip on the wheel tightened before she finally looked at the kid again, "I don't save people kid, I'm no good at it. And I know you want to believe that I am, but I'm not," she took a deep breath as she watched the confusion in his eyes, "Let's make a deal, alright? Tell me your address, I take you home, and _tomorrow_ you tell me more about this curse, sound fair?"

She watched the gears turn over in his head before his arms finally unlatched and he nodded, sniffling back unshed tears, "It's on Mifflin Street, the big white one."

* * *

In all her life Emma had not seen a house as big as the one she was currently standing in front of; well at least not in this world. Henry hadn't been lying when he said the _'the big white one_'. It stood out like a sore thumb. She grimaced at the entire thing, praying he wasn't some rich lawyers kid. Following his hunched form through the unlatched gate she stopped a distance from the front door, trying to calm her nervous breathing.

Henry looked back at her as he pointed to a window on the second floor, "MY room is that one, just so you know which one to throw pebbles at," he smiled at her, totally oblivious to her panic attack.

It was in that moment that the front door was flung open, a blur of grey rushing out of it and a panicked, "Henry" called in a voice that made Emma's entire being shiver. Time seemed to slow for a moment as Emma tore her eyes from the window above, to stare at the woman below; their face buried in the kids neck.

"Where have you been, what happened? Who's this?" the woman asked as she stood back up, straightening her clothes, eyeing Emma up and down with a mixture of gratefulness and intrigue. For her part, Emma could only stand stock-still, trying to figure out what the _hell _was going on.

Before she could even get a word in however, Henry butted back in, shoving his mothers arm from him, "She's my real mom!" he snapped, darting past and inside the house with barely a look back at either of them. Emma watched the man at the door, a sheriff judging by the badge strapped to his waist, stride back into the house, mumbling something about checking on the kid.

A tense and uneven silence enveloped the pair as they stood out in the cold, Emma wanted to say something, _anything_. This woman, whoever she was, was a carbon copy of her Regina. Only her hair had been cut short and there was _no way_ that her Regina would _ever_ wear something like the woman had on right now. And yet the lady was waiting for an answer to questions unasked, who was Emma, did she pose a threat?

"I'm Emma, Emma Swan," she held her shaky hand out, praying it wasn't sweaty from her continuing panic attack.

Hazel eyes flittered down to her hand before jumping back up to her face, holding far less intrigue than they did before. It was if a mask had been slipped over her features, "Why don't we step inside Miss Swan?"

Without waiting for an answer the older woman moved back inside, barely sparing a glance backwards to see if Emma would follow. She knew she would. Emma figured she had that kind of effect on people, whether it was this version or her version.

The inside of the home was more magnificent than the outside, littered with items worth more than Emma's entire yearly salary she'd bet. She watched the woman pour two tumblers with a liquid that looked suspiciously like an apple concoction before she finally turned back around and handed Emma one. At the same time, the officer from before thumped his way down the stairs.

"Madame Mayor, you can relax, Henry's just a very tired little boy."

Emma got her first real look at him and nearly well dropped her glass. She knew his face. The Huntsman. _'Impossible'_ she thought to herself as the two in front of her exchanged small talk, the man finally heading out the door with a small smile in her direction, _'No. No if he's here...then...oh god no. Those nights. The curse. It wasn't just talk...'_

She glanced between the glass of liquid in her hands to the front door, back to the woman still eyeing her distrust. No. Not just 'the woman'. Regina. Her name was Regina Mills. Mayor of this backwash little town; and somewhere in the vials of time, a Queen.

"I-I hope I'm not...I mean I'm not here to take the kid away; before you give me that lecture. I don't even know how he found me."

"Your guess is as good as mine Miss Swan, it was a closed adoption after all," Regina replied curtly, leading them into a small sitting room.

Emma refused to take a seat, preferring to stand by the bookshelf, glancing around the room. Her eyes fell on the apples piled on the table; barely able to suppress pained laughter at them. Of course _that_ would be a continuing trait through worlds. Why however had the woman, regally positioned by the fireplace, forgotten her? Emma remembered the conditions of this so called 'curse' in between Regina's mutterings. All but her Queen would forget their previous existence if it did indeed transport them to the foretold world. _'So what went wrong?'_ Emma mused as she continued to survey the room, taking sips from the heavy drink, '_Why doesn't she remember me?_'

"I am truly sorry about Henry dragging you out of your life, I'm not sure what's gotten into him lately. I suppose I'm a bit protective but I just him to do the best in his life. That doesn't make me 'evil' does it?" Regina questioned, her eyes imploring Emma to answer in a way that would not hurt her.

Emma however had no idea how to answer, immediately finding the ground a more interesting thing to stare at, seeing only briefly the flare of anger in the Mayor's eyes. Her Regina had done some pretty horrid things, taking hearts. She had taken the Huntsmans, tried to take...She shook her head. Finally facing the older woman again, "No, I'm sure it's just the curse thing he's running with."

If she hadn't been watching as hard as she was, she would have missed the panic that flew through her eyes. It was there if only for the tiniest second, but she had seen it nonetheless. This left no doubt in Emma's mind that this was indeed her Queen from the other land. Different. But her all the same.

"I'm sure it's nothing serious," she added for good measure, once again watching the woman like a hawk, "Kids do have wild ideas. Kids I grew up with imagined they were Queen's of enchanted dark lands, once upon a time. It's just a stage."

She could see the gears clicking over in Regina's head. Could see the fearful and yet curious look. Questions lingered in those hazel eyes for a silent minute before Emma clinked the ice around in her drink, "I best be going," she said as an escape route, ensuring those questions wouldn't have time to surface.

"Oh. Oh yes," Regina stuttered out, standing and leading Emma back to the door, all the while in a deep set of thought, "I make my cider rather strong Miss Swan," she commented, half nodding to her own still full glass, "and it's getting late, perhaps it would be wise to take a room up at our local bed and breakfast. I wouldn't want it to get in Henry's head that my drinks are what killed you."

Emma smiled gratefully before bowing her head in a fashion that she had learned to address her Queen with. Internally wincing as she saw Regina's careful glare. With one more smile she quickly made her way down the path, a hand pushing on the gate before she finally heard the muttered question she had seen floating in the woman's head before.

"Have we met before, Miss Swan?"

Pausing as her fingers caused the lingering drops on the gate to fall, she slowly turned around, a passive look on her face. She looked the woman up and down and shrugged, "I don't know Madame Mayor, have we?" she replied, ending the conversation with an incline of her head, her free hand crossed over her chest as a mock bow.

As she jumped in her car she could see the woman still standing with the door wide open. Emma grinned as she took off down the street, knowing all too well the machine she had put in motion. She checked her watch and couldn't help but let out a laugh. 9pm. She had possibly until 8am the next day before the woman she knew better than she knew herself, came knocking; of that she was sure.

* * *

**____****The Dark Palace - The Enchanted Forest  
Emma (27 Years Old)  
Regina (32 Years Old)  
**

_Emma watched on with trepidation as the woman scuttled about the room, she looked distressed as her hands clenched and unclenched at her side. Several times the regal Queen had stopped to say something to Emma, pausing only for a moment before growling and moving on with her pacing. Just the other day she had killed her horse, one of her most prized horses too; Emma knew that would take a toll on her, but _this, _this_ _was something different._

_"Regina, please, stop pacing, let me help you," she said, grateful the woman stopped her pacing if only to throw her a glare. Emma approached her slowly, scared she would lash out otherwise. And when they were only a foot apart Emma gently enveloped the woman in her arms, feeling the Queen tense before relaxing, her own arms circling her._

_"It's alright my Queen. You can trust me, remember? What's the matter?" she said into the older woman's ear, feeling the gentle shudder that ran through her._

_"I have to take the heart of the thing I love the most," was said barely above a whisper, strong arms clenching around Emma once more before they left her completely._

_Emma watched Regina curl into herself again and the vicious mask fall back into place. Ebony eyes locked with her steely ones as she sighed, allowing her arms to drop to her side in defeat. She looked down at herself, dressed in the white garbs her powers granted her, and then back to the woman. It hurt to know it was her, "Why Regina? All this for a curse? You can have your happy ending here..."_

_"I will _never _be happy as long as Snow White and her filthy little prince live in peace! Never!" Regina exclaimed, fury etching across her features for only a brief second before being replaced by something Emma couldn't detect, "This curse...this curse will give me my happy ending."_

_"At what cost though...?" Emma managed to get out before the Queen advanced on her again, she could see the intent in the woman's eyes. She very nearly welcomed it. She was her White Knight after all, forever loyal, forever hers. Emma allowed the arms to envelop her again. Allowed the kiss that felt so full of pain that she found herself crying and clutching desperately at the other woman's clothes. And then she allowed the forceful pull at her gut to take her away._

_In the last moment she saw the anger, saw the thrown mirror, saw the tears and wracking sobs of the crumbling woman. And all she felt...was emptiness._

* * *

**AN2: **I fixed a few things up. Added ages into the flashbacks to help people. I'm not sure if Regina's are correct? If they aren't give us a buzz please and I'll change them. I've always imagined her a few years younger than Lana herself?


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